Great Hearts Student is Recipient of QuestBridge Match to Yale University

Glendale Prep Senior Araceli Lopez receives full scholarship

PHOENIX, Ariz.—October 26, 2016—18-year-old Araceli Lopez, a Senior at Great Hearts Glendale Preparatory Academy, received a full scholarship to Yale University through QuestBridge, a program aimed at filling the gap between leading universities and low-income families.

Lopez will graduate in the spring with a non-weighted grade point average of 3.982. Lopez also scored 1510 on the SAT and 33 on the ACT. She also tutors, works part time and plays recreational soccer.

“Araceli is exemplary in her academics and in her personal character,” said Glendale Preparatory college counselor Katherine Sarbacker. “On countless occasions, as I have walked the halls of Glendale Prep, I have come upon Araceli selflessly helping other students with their homework, or demonstrating her caring heart while guiding them to better understand a difficult concept. This demonstrates her true love of learning and intentionality around helping others. I cannot be more thrilled that she has been accepted by Yale.”

Araceli’s favorite classes at Glendale Prep have been Calculus I and Calculus II. “This class is rewarding in its own way, having a beauty that differs from other classes. Calculus is the culmination of my mathematics education at Great Hearts,” said Araceli. “Truth takes on a different light in this class. I enjoy understanding and proving both how the concepts relate to one another and visualizing the theoretical application.”

QuestBridge, a national non-profit based in Palo Alto, California, connects the nation’s most exceptional, low-income youth with leading institutions of higher education and further life opportunities. Students selected are “matched” to one of QuestBridge’s 38 college partners— admitted with a guaranteed full, four-year scholarship, including tuition, room and board, and other expenses. This year, QuestBridge had 767 finalist matches, 48 of which matched with Yale.

About Great Hearts Academies:
Great Hearts is a non-profit network of public charter schools dedicated to improving education nationwide through classical preparatory K-12 academies. As the largest provider of classical education in the country, Great Hearts academies serve more than 13,000 students at 28 public schools in greater Phoenix, Ariz. and San Antonio and Irving, Tex., with waitlists that exceed enrollment. Learn more at www.greatheartsamerica.org.

Key Statistics:

• The Great Hearts SAT average over the past five years is 1210, a 200 point advantage over the national average.
• 98% of Great Hearts graduates immediately attend universities and colleges, with 2% participating in military service or a gap year; 54% of graduates pursue a STEM-focused course of study in college.
• The 340 graduates in the Great Hearts Class of 2016 were admitted to 327 colleges and universities in 46 states and seven countries.  In fact, graduates were accepted to 22 of the top 25 national universities according to US News and World Report.
• The class of 2016 received an estimated $50 million in scholarships, averaging out to an astounding $147,000 per student!
• Great Hearts academies performed well above state-wide averages on inaugural AzMERIT scores. Great Hearts’ pass rates were more than double those of peer district schools at the middle and secondary level, and +60% higher than peer institutions in elementary grades.

Contact:
Bill Odell
Director of Communications, Great Hearts
bodell@greatheartsaz.org
(602) 889-5034